


Peppermint

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Genre: Candy, Dentistry, Developing Relationship, Introspection, M/M, Post-Canon, Shyness, Yuletide, Yuletide 2013
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 14:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1095316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermey adjusts to life as a dentist, and living with a miner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peppermint

**Author's Note:**

  * For [radondoran](https://archiveofourown.org/users/radondoran/gifts).



> Thank you so very much to my beta, Silverr!

"So, a Peppermint Mine?" Hermey asked. Yukon Cornelius and Rudolph were helping him set up his dental practice, moving the chairs into place and painting while Hermey built his tools.

"Just what I've always wanted!" Cornelius replied cheerfully. "I'm having the Bumble dig out the first bit, just to get us started. Ooh! Maybe I'll see if that fellow in the green hat can spare a few elves to help me process it!"

Hermey thought back over his interactions with his former boss, and how much of a struggle it had been for Hermey to change his own job. "Somehow, I doubt it," he offered.

Rudolph shook his head too; Hermey had told him all about the head elf while they were traveling together. "Not unless you can convince him that it will somehow help get all the toys made in time for Christmas," the young buck said.

Instead of dropping the idea, Yukon Cornelius seemed to consider their words seriously. "But how to convince him?" he mumbled. With a fond sigh for the other's obliviousness, Hermey returned to his work. Yukon Cornelius had been just as stubborn and clueless during their adventures, but at some point Hermey had progressed from being annoyed by his antics to finding them amusing.

A few minutes later, the dentist was jolted from his concentration.

"Ah-Ha-Ha!" Cornelius whooped. "What if we made the toys out of peppermint? I could sell it to Santa at a discount!"

Rudolph and Hermey exchanged glances, until finally the reindeer decided to take the lead. "Would children want to play with peppermint toys?" He asked.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want them to end up on the Island for Misfit Toys," Hermey pointed out.

"Oh, right!" Cornelius resumed his painting with a contemplative frown on his face.

This time, both of his misfit friends were prepared when, a few moments later, he let out another whoop. "I've got it!"

"What this time?" Hermey asked.

"Candy!" Cornelius swung his paintbrush around his fingers the way he usually twirled his axe. "We'll make peppermint candy for the children! As a Christmas treat!"

"I like candy!" Rudolph offered.

"Do you know how bad candy is for children's teeth?" Hermey complained. "Here I am trying to set up a dental practice and you're trying to undermine me!"

"Not unless your dental practice is on top of my peppermint vein!" Cornelius replied.

Hermey eyed him. He couldn't tell if the man really didn't understand dentistry, or if he was being purposefully thick. Even after months of travel together, the elf couldn't always tell.

"Well, if they only had it once a year - at Christmas - that wouldn't be so bad for their teeth, right?" Rudolph interjected.

"No, I don't suppose it would be," Hermey allowed reluctantly. "But only a little bit!"

"Wonderful!" Cornelius dropped his paintbrush into the can. "I'll go speak to the Big Man myself!"

"Does he mean Santa?" Rudolph asked, aghast.

Hermey sighed; Yukon Cornelius really had no idea of how things were run in Christmastown, or of the deference and respect that everyone gave to Santa. "Yes, yes he does."

oOo

"And don't forget to floss!" Hermey called after Jessie. She waved an acknowledgement as she hurried off into the snow. So far, he had done initial checkups on most of the elves, and scheduled quite a few for follow up surgery. Jessie, however, was one of the better brushers, and he wouldn't need to see her until next year.

Having a bit of a break, Hermey decided to poke his head into Yukon Cornelius' shop. The head elf had flatly refused to give over any of the workshops to Cornelius' peppermint stick idea, so he had asked to share part of Hermey's new office. And somehow, despite the oddity of having a candy maker and a dentist in the same space, Hermey hadn't found it in himself to refuse.

Peeking into the second workroom, Hermey saw Yukon Cornelius working over a large mixing bowl. He had removed his heavy outer coat and rolled up his sleeves as he crushed the raw peppermint into a fine powder.

As he worked, Hermey realized for the first time how strong his roommate must be, to crush the peppermint so easily. Hermey was not considered strong in the slightest, and he was so impressed by people who were.

Yukon Cornelius had also shown how strong he was when they were out looking for Rudolph. He had used his axe to chop wood for their cookfires; he had made another iceflow raft with one powerful blow, and he had even pulled the fully loaded sled when the dogs got tired. His brashness and illogical moments aside, Yukon Cornelius had literally saved Hermey's life out there, as well as the lives of Rudolph and his family. Hermey was grateful, and he supposed that gratefulness could explain his fond tolerance of the miner's antics.

Absorbed in his memories of crisp snow and wood smoke, Hermey stared, silently watching Yukon Cornelius work for a little while, until a large rumble jolted him from his thoughts. A moment later another rumble announced the Bumble drawing closer, probably with another sack full of the raw peppermint. Really, the humbled Bumble had proven himself quite useful around the mine!

Quickly, Hermey ducked back out of the prospector's space and into his own. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want Yukon Cornelius to know that he had been watching. That was something new, as Hermey had often openly observed the miner on their trip together. Now, however, it felt wrong, as though he was being sneaky somehow. Was it sneaky, or wrong, to watch his roommate work? Was it strange to look at his muscles or to fondly recall their time traveling together? Was Hermey really a bigger misfit than he had ever realized?

A bit confused, Hermey consulted his calendar. He didn't have another appointment that afternoon, so perhaps he would go visit the Donner family. Hopefully Clarice or Mrs Donner would be in, and he could get some advice.

oOo

Hermey sank down into his bed, tired after a long day. Who was he kidding? It had been a long _week!_ This year's Christmas rush had been worse than ever, and he had been talked into closing down his dental practice for the week and coming back to the workshop to help. He had eventually agreed, provided that he was only responsible for toys that had teeth.

Now, as Rudolph and the other reindeer led Santa around the world, all the elves, including Hermey, could relax. Pulling his covers up snugly around his chin, Hermey breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of peppermint and wood smoke that permeated their home.

He hadn't realized how much he had come to expect certain things until they weren't there. His round-the-clock shifts back in Santa's workshop meant that he hadn't looked at a real tooth in seven days! And he hadn't seen Yukon Cornelius for seven days. He hadn't even smelled peppermint for those seven days.

Hermey found that he missed those things more than he expected. He missed his dentistry, but more importantly, he had missed Yukon Cornelius. He missed the prospector's unexpected shouts, and his excitement about everything, and his tall tales, and his disobedient dogs that snuck into Hermey's dental office, and even his smell of peppermint.

Sighing, Hermey considered the advice he had gotten from Clarice a few months ago. She was probably right, but it was simply hard for Hermey do to as she had suggested. He and Yukon Cornelius were already close friends, and he wasn't sure exactly how he could go about getting closer, as the doe had told him to. Perhaps he was overthinking things.

Tonight, however, in the exhausted afterglow of the Christmas rush, and with Yukon Cornelius so excited about his first shipment of peppermint sticks, Hermey felt braver than usual. Perhaps the time was finally right for some kind of action. Hermey glanced at the bed next to his own, but it was empty.

Throwing back the covers, Hermey got back out of bed. Cautiously, he crept down the stairs and peaked into the prospector's workroom. Yukon Cornelius was in there, slumped over his work table and snoring away. His dogs were curled up in the corner by the fire, also snoring happily.

Smiling, Hermey took in the scene; was the only one left awake in their small home, apparently. Going back to the hall, he grabbed a warm blanket from the closet and then draped it over Cornelius.

Pleased, and smiling softly, Hermey made his way back to their room. There, he curled up in his own peppermint-scented blankets and quickly drifted off into pleasant dreams.


End file.
